CHRIS Fagan says rugged wingman Mitch Robinson will be back for finals after Brisbane took a "conservative" approach in leaving him out of Saturday’s final round against West Coast.
Robinson missed last week’s win over Collingwood with a calf injury and with the Lions’ guaranteed to play finals, the coach said they took the safe option.
"Arguably we could play him I guess," Fagan said on Friday morning.
"He’s had a little bit of a history across the course of the past two or three years with calf injuries, and although he trained fully yesterday, that was his first full training session for two weeks.
"We just think it might be wiser to make sure he’s fully right to go and resist the temptation to play him this week.
"It’s a bit of a conservative call. I think if we had have been playing in a final he would have been playing."
MEDICAL ROOM The full AFL injury list
The immediate prospects for Marcus Adams are a little more clouded, though.
The key defender has missed the past month with a foot injury, and although available again, Fagan said it was difficult to change a winning team.
"It was a pretty tough call. It was a long conversation at selection," he said.
"That doesn’t mean Marcus won’t be in our best side next week."
The Lions need Port Adelaide to defeat the Western Bulldogs on Friday night to keep their chances of sneaking into the top four alive.
Fagan said they had spoken about the different scenarios at a team meeting on Friday morning, but one thing wouldn’t change – their mindset facing the depleted Eagles.
He said Brisbane would "beware, beware, beware" an Adam Simpson-led outfit that has been decimated by injuries.
LADDER PREDICTOR Where will your club finish?
"You always worry a bit as a coach when you play a team with their backs to the wall," Fagan said.
"They know if they win they’re still a chance to play finals.
"They’re going to play with a free and open mind and just have a crack.
"We’ve been on a bit of a mission the last couple of weeks to prepare ourselves for finals.
"Whether the Dogs win or lose tonight, we’re still preparing ourselves for finals.
"That’s the attitude we’re going to take."
